TidBITS#01/16-Apr-90
====================
Copyright 1990-1992 Adam & Tonya Engst. Non-profit, non-commercial
publications may reprint articles if full credit is given. Other
publications please contact us. We do not guarantee the accuracy
of articles. Publication, product, and company names may be
registered trademarks of their companies. Disk subscriptions and
back issues are available.
For more information send electronic mail to info@tidbits.uucp or
Internet: ace@tidbits.uucp -- CIS: 72511,306 -- AOL: Adam Engst
TidBITS -- 9301 Avondale Rd. NE Q1096 -- Redmond, WA 98052 USA
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Topics:
What's News in Netnews
Lotus, Novell merge
New Programs from ACIUS
SE Monitor & Accelerator
QMS's Font Freedom
Keyboard Construction Kit
Electrical Networking
3.5" Erasable Optical Due
HyperCard, meet dBASE
Reviews/09-Apr-90
Reviews/16-Apr-90
What's News in Netnews
----------------------
For anyone working on a IIci with After Dark, the screensaver from
Berkeley Systems, you should upgrade to version 1.1c. The new
version fixes a bug that causes crashes when the screensaver kicks
in while DAs are open. It also includes a Randomizer INIT, which
allows the screensaver to automatically switch modules after a
specified time interval, and several new modules, including
Spheres (which draws 3-D spheres on the screen, Draino (which
swirls your Mac screen down a drain in the middle of the screen),
and TacTiles (which fills the screen with a tile pattern). Also
included are several previously released modules, Shredded
Crystals and Starry Skyline. The upgrade is available from on-line
services.
Information from:
Bruce Burkhalter of Berkeley Systems -- bruce@cory.berkeley.edu
Another option when Outbound
The Outbound portable Macintosh has received attention because of
its method of avoiding Apple's copyrights. The purchased must own
a Mac Plus or SE, and the Plus or SE ROMs are used in the
Outbound. However, it is possible to purchase ROMs legally through
certain dealers. Such ROMs have been used legally for several
years by owners of the Spectre 128 and GCR, Macintosh emulators
for the Atari ST from Gadgets By Small, Inc. In addition, Outbound
will be offering replacement ROMs for the Outbound's host that
will allow it to be a dedicated AppleShare server when the
Outbound is not connected.
Information from:
Alex Pournelle -- alex@grian.cps.altadena.ca.us
Refilling DeskWriter Cartridges
Some users have complained about the relatively high price of the
ink cartridges for HP's popular DeskJet, DeskJet+, and DeskWriter
printers. Judging from numerous discussions on Usenet, it is
possible to use a syringe to refill the cartridges with good
quality fountain pen ink (which is also water-soluble, sorry). Be
warned that HP does not condone such measures and you may clog or
otherwise damage the ink jets on your printer.
Lotus, Novell merge
-------------------
In an blow to industry leader Microsoft, Lotus and Novell merged
last week to form a corporation worth about $1.5 billion dollars.
The merger does not affect the Macintosh market as directly as the
PC market, because neither Lotus nor Novell has been a major
player in the Macintosh market despite several abortive attempts
by Lotus. Novell's networking software has yet to win a major
following in the Macintosh market as well, due to the preeminence
of Apple's own AppleShare software. However, the fate of Microsoft
is almost as tightly interwoven with the Macintosh as it is with
the PC world and the Lotus/Novell alliance will undoubtedly affect
Microsoft's ability to dictate the course of personal computing.
Related articles:
MacWEEK -- 10-Apr-90, Vol. 4, #14, pg. 1
InfoWorld -- 09-Apr-90, Vol. 12, #15, pg. 1
PC WEEK -- 09-Apr-90, Vol. 7, #14, pg. 1
New Programs from ACIUS
-----------------------
ACIUS, the developer of 4th Dimension, announced a host of new
programs in many sectors of the market. Included in the product
announcement are 4D Write, 4D Calc, Graph 3D, 4D Draw, 4D Compiler
Kit, 4D External Kit, 4D SQL Server, and 4D Connectivity Kit.
All of the new products can be integrated tightly with 4D, and
include the same sort of inter-application communication that
Apple promises will be in System 7.0. It is unlikely that each
application on its own will be able to compete with the popular
and powerful programs in that field, such as MacDraw, Nisus, Word,
Excel, and Wingz, but the links with each other and 4D will give a
whole that is greater than the sum of the parts.
An especially exciting feature of the newly announced packages is
that each module will automatically install a set of commands in
the 4D language, allowing programmers to control the modules in
their applications.
ACIUS -- 408/252-4444
Related articles:
MacWEEK -- 10-Apr-90, Vol. 4, #14,pg. 1
InfoWorld -- 09-Apr-90, Vol. 12, #15, pg. 40
SE Monitor & Accelerator
------------------------
Mobius Technologies has another option for SE owners who are
running low on screen real estate and speed at the same time. The
15" full-page monitor is only 1-bit monochrome, but has a 78-Hz
refresh rate and includes a 16 MHz 68000 accelerator card to
double the speed of the SE. The best news is the price, only $695.
The new Mobius monitor competes directly with the Radius Full Page
Display and the Sigma Designs SilverView for the SE, neither of
which come with acceleration.
The trick when buying a monitor is to use it for a while first (or
be able to return it within a month or some such deal) because
large monitor quality is very subjective. Also, be aware that
large monitors require more processing from the CPU, and will thus
slow down the Mac. So even if Mobius's accelerator board doubles
the Mac's speed, updating the larger screen will cut into that
speed increase somewhat.
Related articles:
InfoWorld -- 09-Apr-90, Vol. 12, #15, pg. 40
QMS's Font Freedom
------------------
QMS announced a $49.95 ATM-like INIT called Font Freedom that
provides smooth fonts on the screen and on QuickDraw printers. No
benchmarks regarding speed were mentioned, but Font Freedom will
ship with 24 typefaces in comparison to ATM's 13. Note that there
are between 1 and 4 typefaces in each font, which is why ATM
really only has 4 fonts included. Font Freedom's will include the
basic fonts in the LaserWriter+, fonts which must be purchased
separately from Adobe in their Plus Pack. Type 1 PostScript fonts
(fonts with Adobe hints) are supported, with Type 3 fonts (non-
hinted fonts created with a program such as Fontographer)
supported eventually.
The introduction of Font Freedom adds another level of complexity
to the font war between the PostScript camp (Adobe/IBM/NeXT) and
the TrueType camp (Apple/Microsoft). Font Freedom will compete
mostly on its display speed, print quality, and memory
requirements, all of which are still unknown.
QMS -- 800/635-3997 -- 205/633-4300
Related articles:
MacWEEK -- 10-Apr-90, Vol. 4, #14 pg. 14
InfoWorld -- 09-Apr-90, Vol. 12, #15, pg. 40
Keyboard Construction Kit
-------------------------
Datadesk introduced the Switchboard, a new extended keyboard with
a twistit has several modules which can be moved around and
swapped in and out of the basic keyboard case. So far Datadesk has
a trackball module, a function key module that fits on either side
of the main keys, and a macro key module that goes above the
fifteen horizontal function keys. In addition from the
Switchboard's chameleon abilities, it can hook to every Macintosh,
including the Plus as well as all IBM-clones. That's flexible!
Information from:
Usenet, comp.sys.mac
Related articles:
MacWEEK -- 17-Apr-90, Vol. 4, #15, pg. 53
Macworld -- Jul-90, pg. 109
Electrical Networking
---------------------
Carrier Current Technologies recently said that it would increase
the speed of Carrier-Net, a network adapter for PC-compatibles
that runs at 38,400 bits per second (bps) over standard electrical
wiring. Users attach a Carrier-Net adapter box to the serial port
of the computer and plug it in to the electrical outlet, which
carries the network signal. Carrier Current plans to be able to
reach 115,000 bps this fall and up to 4 megabits per second
sometime later by using multiple channel technology. The company
has announced no plans for AppleTalk support, but with the maximum
speed of AppleTalk at 234,000 bps, such a product might be
possible. Carrier -Net is currently limited to in-building wiring
because the network signals cannot pass through a transformer, but
Carrier Current is working on a gateway solution.
A major cost of networking is laying and maintaining the network
wiring, so a technology such as Carrier-Net would be much easier
to work with than conventional wiring techniques. Another solution
to the wiring problem is radio frequency transmission, but that
too is limited to the PC world. A company called OCI markets a
product called LAWN (Local Area Wireless Network), which, like
Carrier-Net, is currently limited to 38,400 bps and has a limited
range but requires no additional wiring. Should either technology
attain a speed quick enough to run AppleTalk, it would undoubtedly
become popular with Macintosh users, considering the ease of
networking the Mac and the introduction of FileShare in Apple's
System 7.0.
Carrier Current Technologies -- 800/222-0377
OCI -- 800/OCI-LAWN
Related articles:
InfoWorld -- 16-Apr-90, Vol. 12, #16, pg. 24
InfoWorld -- 11-Jun-90, Vol. 12, #24, pg. 33
3.5" Erasable Optical Due
-------------------------
The first 3.5" erasable optical drive was announced recently by
Pinnacle Micro Inc., which claims that the drive's average seek
time is a mere 28 milliseconds, far below that offered by the
5.25" standard erasable optical disks. Each $129 disk will store
128 megabytes of information, less than the 650 megabytes that the
5.25" drives will hold. However, the list price on the drive is
$2995, so street prices should be less than the $3500 or so that
the 5.25" drives cost. Compared to a 105 megabyte Quantum hard
disk, the Pinnacle erasable optical is still expensive at about
$24 per megabyte, but adding additional disks lowers the price per
megabyte significantly. For graphic designers who wish to store
large 24-bit images or anyone who needs a large amount of storage,
the Pinnacle 3.5" drive will provide it at a reasonable speed,
unlike its 5.25" brethren.
Pinnacle Micro, Inc. -- 800/553-7070 -- 714/727-3300
Related articles:
MacWEEK -- 17-Apr-90, Vol. 4, #15, pg. 4
InfoWorld -- 23-Apr-90, Vol. 12, #17, pg. 6
HyperCard, meet dBASE
---------------------
At Macworld Expo, Symmetry Software demonstrated Dashboard DB, a
HyperCard toolkit that will allow developers to create front-ends
to large, pre-existing database in dBASE format. The toolkit,
which is schedule to ship in June, will cost $129 and will give
HyperCard the ability to modify and search for records in dBASE
format databases. Hopefully, the availability of Dashboard DB will
help the Macintosh gain a foothold in companies locked into PC
platforms due to the format of their databases. Similar products
are available to allow HyperCard to interact with Oracle
databases, Omnis 5 databases, and databases created with ACIUS's
4th Dimension.
Symmetry Software Corp. -- 602/998-9106
Related articles:
MacWEEK -- 17-Apr-90, Vol. 4, #15, pg. 15
Reviews/09-Apr-90
-----------------
* MacWEEK
Macintosh IIfx -- pg. 96
PhotoMac vs. ColorStudio vs. Photoshop -- pg. 102
PrecisionColor monitor calibrator, pg. 114
Pivot monitor -- pg. 114
Boomerang & Shortcut -- pg. 124
Smart Remote & On-Command -- pg. 125
* InfoWorld
Dvorak's Guide to PC Telecommunications -- pg. 90
MacWrite II 1.1 vs. WriteNow 2.2 -- pg. 99
* PC WEEK
24 bit color cards for the Mac II -- pg. 75
Venice 640 (Neutral Ltd.)
ColorBoard 264 (RasterOps)
ColorCard/24 (SuperMac)
Multimedia presentation programs -- pg. 83
HyperCard 1.2.2
Studio/1 1.0
MacRecorder 2.0/ScreenRecorder
Director 1.0.1
SuperCard 1.0
Peer-to-Peer LANs -- pg. 89
Personal Server Network (IPT)
EasyShare 1.0 (ShirtPocket Software)
TOPS
FileShare (Apple in System 7.0)
* Macworld
Macintosh IIfx -- pg. 280
Publishing programs -- pg. 290
Multi-Ad Creator
PageMaker 4.0
QuarkXPress 3.0
DesignStudio 1.0
ReadySetGo 4.5
Publish-It 1.1
QuarkStyle 1.0
Springboard Publisher II 2.0
Relational Databases -- pg. 316
4th Dimension 2.0.10
FoxBase+/Mac 2.00
Omnis 5
Double Helix 3
Audiomedia 1.2 -- pg. 342
PosterWorks 1.01 -- pg. 343
MicroTV 1.1 -- pg. 346
MSF-300Z Color/Gray Scanner -- pg. 348
DeltaGraph 1.0 -- pg. 350
SuperANOVA 1.01 -- pg. 353
Cause 1.0.4 -- pg. 355
Theorist 1.01 -- pg. 359
The Complete Page Scanner -- pg. 360
M.Y.O.B 1.0 -- pg. 362
Remote Mouse -- pg. 364
Finale 2.0 -- pg. 366
Abaton 8-bit Upgrade Kit -- pg. 369
The Art Importer & Fontographer 3.0 -- pg. 373
JMP 1.01 -- pg. 375
Pipe Dream -- pg. 379
WorkBenchMac 3.0 -- pg. 380
Spelling checkers -- pg. 384
Thunder II 1.0.1
Spellswell 2.1c
Lookup 2.0
Abbre-V-8 1.0 -- pg. 389
MapMaker 4.0 -- pg. 391
DeskPaint 2.01C & DeskDraw 1.3 -- pg. 393
Pointing Devices -- pg. 394
The Cordless Mouse
Felix
RollerMouse
Wiz
BizPlanBuilder 3.1 -- pg. 396
Phone Line Manager 103 -- pg. 398
MarkUp 1.01 -- pg. 400
Igor 1.1 -- pg. 403
* MacUser
MicroTV -- pg. 54
TypeAlign -- pg. 55
Label printers -- pg. 57
LabelWriter
SmartLabel Printer
FastCache IIci & Marathon Racer -- pg. 59
Music software -- pg. 61
Finale 2.0
MusicProse
Encore
IdeaFisher & MindLink -- pg. 67
Ishido -- pg. 71
Spelling Coach Professional -- pg. 74
HyperBASIC -- pg. 78
StrataVISION 3D -- pg. 95
Disk security -- pg. 97
Advanced Security
DiskLock
FileGuard
Ashlar Vellum -- pg. 98
QMS-PS 820 turbo -- pg. 104
White Knight -- pg. 106
TypeStyler -- pg. 110
References:
MacWEEK -- 10-Apr-90, Vol. 4, #14
InfoWorld -- 09-Apr-90, Vol. 12, #15
PC WEEK -- 09-Apr-90, Vol. 7, #14
Macworld -- Mar-90
MacUser -- Mar-90
Reviews/16-Apr-90
-----------------
* MacWEEK
ColorSpace IIi & FX video boards, pg. 37
GeoQuery 2.0, pg. 46
LapLink Mac III, pg. 46
UltraPaint, pg. 48
Fastback Tape drive, pg. 48
Fastback II version 2.0, pg. 48
* PC WEEK
Accounting software, pg. 116
Great Plains Accounting Series 5.2
Assistant Controller Series 5.8
Database Accounting Library: Series Six Plus
Champion III Business Accounting Software
Buyer's Guide to Color Printers, pg. 133
* InfoWorld
Macintosh IIfx, pg. 83
References:
MacWEEK -- 17-Apr-90, Vol. 4, #15
PC WEEK -- 16-Apr-90, Vol. 7, #15
InfoWorld -- 16-Apr-90, Vol. 12, #16
..
This text is encoded in the setext format. Please send email to
or contact us at one of the above addresses
to learn how to get more information on the setext format.